The present invention relates to cartridge magazines for automatic weapons and pertains particularly to an improved follower for a fixed base cartridge tube.
Many automatic and semi-automatic weapons utilize a cartridge magazine tube that is of a generally square box-like configuration rounded at the front end to conform to the configuration of the nose of the bullets in the cartridge and includes an opening at the top with a follower and a spring for biasing the follower upward to force cartridges to the open end for semi-automatic loading by the weapon. Some magazines such as the Colt-type magazine for automatic pistols such as the military Colt 45 are constructed with a fixed nonremovable base and a follower that is insertable through the opening in the top of the magazine. Followers for this type of fixed base magazines have not had a front guide because of the necessity for keeping the follower sufficiently small in certain dimensions that it can be inserted and removed from the top opening of the magazine.
Some magazines are provided with followers which have front and rear guides which engage the front and rear walls of the magazine for a smooth guidance of the follower as it forces the cartridges to the open end of the magazine. The combination of front and rear guides provide desirable smoothness of function and consequent steadiness and uniformity of feed. The entire feed mechanism of an automatic pistol depends on smooth functioning, high quality magazines. Such magazines having double guide followers, however, must have a removable bottom in order that the follower can be removed for cleaning and for repair, or replacement of the follower or spring, etc.
The Colt-type follower as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings has a rear guide but no front guide because it must be inserted and removed through the top opening of the magazine. The Colt-type automatic pistol is standard U.S. government issue, of which about four (4) million have been manufactured since 1911, and of which about 500,000 are presently in active service. The Colt-type magazine with the fixed nonremovable base is a rugged high strength magazine due to the fixed base and can hold seven cartridges as opposed to six cartridges for some replacement magazines of the removable base-type. The Colt-type follower for the magazine having a single guide at the back end thereof is subject to tipping forward and jamming on the edge of the magazine as shown in FIG. 2 when attempting to insert the first cartridge in the magazine. These magazine followers also have a tendency to wedge and stick in the magazine tube. Such followers also do not function as smoothly as the double guided-type. Smooth operating magazines are a necessity for the reliable functioning of automatic pistols.
Heretofore, no double guide followers have been available for insertion into the open end of the fixed base-type magazines.
It is therefore desirable that a double guide follower be available which is insertable and removable from the open end of fixed base cartridge magazines.